Saying thanks
by BleachedSakura
Summary: Who would have thought that talking to imaginary people was good for you? "Obito sacrificed his life for me. Sensei for the village, for Naruto. And I killed Rin because she asked me to. So why are you here, standing before me? Am I dead too?" Wherein Kakashi gets a moment of redemption and flowers bring back memories. Team bonding. One-shot.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Full Summary: 'Thank you' who would have thought that talking to imaginary people was good for you? "Obito sacrificed his life for me. Sensei for the village, for Naruto. And I killed Rin because she asked me to. So why are you here, standing before me? Am I dead too?" Wherein Kakashi gets a moment of redemption and flowers bring back memories. Team bonding. One-shot.**

**Pairings: No pairings. Only deep emotional scenes with (lost) loved ones.**

**Warnings: Spoilers?**

* * *

_Thank you for being there when I needed you the most. Thank you for helping me through all those tough times in life. Thank you for being such a good friend no matter what I did, but most of all, thank you for being you._

_._

_It's amazing how two words that mean so much can seem so little. If I could show you how much your presence in my life means to me, the simple phrase of 'thank you' would pale and diminish in the sheer enormity of the gratitude I owe._

_._

_._

_._

They were standing on top of the Hokage Mountain, watching the sun disappear behind the

"So, what do you find of Naruto?" Sensei Minato casually asked. He was staring straight ahead, watching over Konoha with a gentle, protective look.

Twelve-year old Kakashi blinked at him. "Naruto?"

"Yeah, Naruto. My son. Your student." The blond man studied him. "Did you forget?"

Kakashi shook his head rapidly and stepped back, thousand thoughts racing trough his head. How? What?

"Of course he forgot about his own team! That's why I died." an irritated voice grumbled. Kakashi wiped around and found himself face to face with Obito.

Kakashi's_ two dark eyes_ widened comically.

"Obito-kun! Don't be hard on him." another voice, this time much sweeter and feminine sounded behind him. "You know he had it hard."

The silver-haired boy went rigid when a warm hand landed on his shoulder. He hesitantly looked over his shoulder.

_Oh, God_

Swarthy, kind eyes gazed at him.

_Oh, God_

Rin smiled warmly at him, squeezing his shoulder lightly before letting go and rejoining Obito and Sensei.

_Oh, God!_

Sensei with his fluffy blond hair and blue eyes. His under gentle, patient smile. Rin with her hands clasped behind her back and blushing under his gaze. Obito, arms crossed and a pout on his face. His mischievous twinkling eyes before the goggles were set.

Kakashi gulped audibly. "You're- you're dead."

Sensei nodded. "Were dead, Kakashi-kun. But were also alive."

Hope blossomed in Kakashi's chest at the last words. Maybe, just _maybe_...

"In your heart we'll always be alive." Kakashi visibly deflated, making his Sensei laugh sadly.

"You have some really depressing thoughts, teme." Obito said, annoyance clear in his voice and posture. "Do you know just how difficult it is to make the place brighter here? Never saw you for the emo-type, 'Kashi."

Rin nodded, frowning slightly. "You're always in the past, Kaka-chan! Always mourning. Always sad. Always angry. Look ahead. You have a team, now. Think of them!"

"A sensei is responsible of his student. He's their light to the future. They're his path out of the dark past. Give them a chance and you'll see that life's much easier." Sensei wisely said.

"Wow, that's some philosophic stuff, Sensei!" Obito grinned, looking up at the blond. Sensei sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, blushing lightly. Rin giggled behind her hand at their antics.

"I'm the fourth Hokage, I have to give good advice to my village." Obito smiled a small envying smile.

"I would have liked to be there in your time of Hokage reign." Rin nodded again.

"Me too."

Sensei wanted to say something when he noticed his last student's silence. Rin and Obito followed his gaze.

"Kakashi-kun?"

The silver-haired boy stood still, staring at his feet with his hair showing his face from view. His hands were clenched into tight fists, to his sides.

"Kaka-chan?"

"Teme?" Obito frowned taking a step forward. He got no response. He took another step. "'Kashi." No response. Another step. "Hey, I'm talking to you." Still no response. Another step.

Obito stood now before the still Hatake. Sensei and Rin shared worried looks. The chubby Uchiha placed a hand on his teammate's shaking shoulder.

"Kakashi, I-" his hand was roughly slapped away. Obito took a step back, surprised. Kakashi's head had snapped up, his crying face displayed for the world to see.

"Oh!" Rin put a hands over her mouth to muffle her yell. Sensei's frown deepened.

"SHUT UP!" the crying boy screamed. "Don't call my name anymore! You're dead! I'm not supposed to talk to you! You're not supposed to be here! So shut up and disappear! Leave me alone! Leave me alone." he sobbed.

_Don't talk. Don't make me relish the sound of your voices. Don't torment me. Don't torture me. Don't make me regret your deaths more._

"Standing, talking," he pointed at them, voice growing faint. "Smiling, laughing, _breathing_..."

"Kaka-chan..." Rin had tears in her eyes.

_Don't say my name!_

"This isn't real. You're just a fragment of my imagination. You're not real." he continued.

Their sad, understanding and _pitying_ eyes made him want to howl in insanity.

_Don't look at me like that!_

"You're _dead_."

He said it so convinced, so tiredly, so pitifully that you would never have thought that he was one of the strongest of his generation. He sounded like a little, lost boy who was at loss of where to go. Afraid of where he would land.

"Obito sacrificed his life for me. Sensei for the village, for Naruto. And I killed Rin because she asked me to. So why are you here, standing before me? Am I dead too?"

Sensei shook his head. "You're alive and well. And as to why were here..."

"It's because were a part of you, dumbass!" Obito said. "True, were not alive physically but were very much alive. Here." he placed a hand on Kakashi's chest. "We'll continue to live, as long as you remember us. So, be kind enough not to mention our deaths in every single sentence you barf!"

For a moment, the only sound that could be heard were Kakashi's quit sobs and the wind blowing leaves in their direction. Obito's eyes softened at the crying face of his friend.

Those dark eyes of the Hatake were begging him. Telling him something only he could understand.

_Forgive me_

Kakashi suddenly found himself engulfed by the bigger boy in a strong hug. He gasped in slight shock.

_How long ago since he had received a hug from anyone?_

Sensei grinned and joined the two boys, he hugged them. All Kakashi could do was gasp again at the added warmth.

"Why?" he managed to whisper.

"Because we are a part of you." Sensei answered.

"Why?" Kakashi asked again.

"Because you're dear to us." Obito said.

_"Why?"_ this time, he sounded desperate. Someone hugged him from behind and Kakashi whined. He felt a head rest on his shoulder.

"Because we love you." Rin breathed.

And all Kakashi could do was cry and cry and _just cry_.

.

.

_"Do you love us too?"_

_"Yes."_

_._

_"Say it then."_

_"..."_

_"Say that you love us too."_

_"..."_

.

.

Team Minato was looking over their beloved village. All content and relieved. All grinning like idiots.

Kakashi breathed deeply. He felt their expectant, awaiting eyes on him, digging into his back. He didn't dare look at them so he focused his gaze on training ground 7. His team's training ground. The place that held the memorial. The place where they met up, trained, ate and goofed off together.

His team.

_Team 7_

He was surprised at how his whole body warmed at the thought of them. How his toes tingled and how his fingers twitched when he remembered their names. The three of them.

_Idiot brat_

_Emo-boy_

_Pinky girl_

_I miss you guys already_

They were a dysfunctional family. Each had their quirks and views. Each had their style and taste. Each had an unique appearance. Each had a mental problem. Each had their dreams and beliefs. But in a very strange way, they cared for each other. They loved each other although they didn't know it.

_Too stubborn_

Kakashi still felt the eyes digging a hole in his head. It was time to answer a question. It was time to fulfill a request.

"I love you too."

He didn't have the time to turn back and see their faces. He didn't have time to spend more time with them. He didn't. He never had.

His Sensei pushed him with the one hand over the edge. Kakashi had a beautiful view of Konohagakure and brief leap of the heart before he found himself in his older body again.

He was walking with his hands in his pockets, his left hand clamping his head protector. He was walking in training ground 7, the cherry blossoms' scent filled his nostrils. It was a sunny day in the middle of spring.

"Kaka-Sensei!" a _very_ familiar voice, shouted.

"What the-" he was soon silenced when someone shoved a bouquet of pinkish, purplish flowers in his face. Rin's scent made his heart flutter with longing.

"Aren't they pretty? We picked them up, ourselves!" Naruto lowered his hands and grinned his trademark grin that shined brighter than the sun. Behind him Sakura hurried over, a bigger bouquet being held in her delicate arms.

"You looked glum, so we decided to give you something." She said it shyly, as if a bit uncertain of his reaction to this childish gesture. But her eyes told a completely different story. Those bright green eyes sparkled with happiness, hope and high expectations.

"Hn. They forced me to do it." Sasuke joined Sakura and Naruto, looking bored and uninterested. A bouquet of bright flowers slung lazily on his shoulder, holding it in place with his hand.

Kakashi blinked, dazed and uncomprehending of what happened and what was happening. He hesitantly looked over his shoulders. His _lone black eye_ comically widened in surprise.

_Oh, God_

Sensei Minato smiled encouragingly at him, a bouquet of bright flowers in his hand. Rin held a smaller one of flowers with pink and purple shades in both her hands. She laughed happily, eyes shining with retained tears. And Obito...

Oh, Obito. His face was devoid of emotion, letting Kakashi wonder what he was thinking at the moment. But then, he saw the single flower in Obito's hand and Kakashi _knew_.

He knew he was forgiven.

"Thank you, Obito." the jounin whispered, so low that even he couldn't hear it.

His friends' face broke out in a big grin, bigger than Naruto's infamous megawatt smile and he winked at him.

"Go, Kakashi! Enjoy your life and don't disappoint us... or them." he shouted.

"Don't forget about us, Kaka-Chan!" Rin squealed, laughing happily.

"We'll always be with you." Sensei Minato nodded, not hiding his warm smile.

And they faded.

Kakashi closed his eyes for a moment and sighed in blissfulness. Life was good.

Life was _so_ good.

"Eh? Kaka-Sensei, aren't you happy?" Naruto asked, dejected and lowered his bouquet further.

"Hn. If you don't like it, say it." Sasuke commented, trough he also began looking more upset. The heavier scowl easily gave his displeasure away.

Sakura was the worst. She didn't say anything and just hid her bouquet behind her back, shuffling with her feet and staring at her feet with dark green eyes.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi-Sensei. It's just that we finished early with our mission and sense we knew you were going to be late decided to spend time playing around. Even if we had to train. Sorry, it was my idea... I know it was totally immature and I-"

"Sakura..." her green eyes focused on him. "Sasuke..." the dark-haired teen's face became blank again. "Naruto..." wincing slightly, the hyperactive boy sprang from one feet to the other.

Kakashi's available eye closed in an U-shape, the corners crinkling, showing that he was smiling under his mask.

"Thank you."

_Thank you for being Naruto, thank you for being Sakura, thank you for being Sasuke, thank you for being little brats, thank you for being my students, thank you for being cute genins, thank you for everything_

They stared at him in disbelief, not knowing how to respond. They all heard the joy and care in his masculine voice and didn't know how to cope with it. They knew that, in two common and simple words, their beloved pervert of a Sensei opened his heart to them.

And that_ so_ _much_ to them.

Naruto's cerulean eyes twinkled with pride as his grin returned back full force.

_'My name's Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto. I'm twenty years old. I like ramen and training. I love Hinata, Teme, Kaka-sensei and Sakura-chan. I hate war and people who hurt my loved ones and the three minutes it takes for Ramen to cook. My dream? I've achieved it. I'm the Sixth Hokage. I'm friends with the Kyuubi but I call him Kurama. I've took Sasuke back home. The war is over. And I can make you smile genuinely, Kaka-sensei.'_

Sasuke smirked that small smile of his and closed his eyes, relaxing.

_'My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I am twenty years old. I don't like very much but I cherish everything I have. I love Sakura, sensei and dobe over here. I hate vengeance, manipulators... liars. My dream is to protect those I cherish and atone for my past sins.'_

Sakura actually laughed. She laughed, and in a fit of relief, she hugged her Sensei.

_'I'm Haruno Sakura. I'm twenty-one years old- yes, older than you guys! I like to memorize, train and heal people. I love Sasuke-kun and Naruto-baka and Kakashi-sensei. I don't like being weak, left behind or underestimated. I absolutely hate those who want to destroy Team 7 or Konoha. My dream... I've never had one to begin with. I think that's because I was living it already. From the very beginning.'_

"Ho! Say, Sakura, you've gotten quite stronger!" Kakashi said, laying a hand on her head. He smelled Obito's smell coming from the flowers she held. Naruto whooped in excitement and grabbed Sasuke's arm. Ignoring the Uchiha's protests, he dragged them to the two cuddlers.

"Dobe!"

"Group hug!"

"Naruto! Sasuke-kun!"

"Look out- Ah!"

And as Kakashi embraced them all -an embarrassed Sasuke, a happy Naruto and an elated Sakura- he prayed to Kami to not make him forget this day. This day where he finally found peace, if for a moment only. It was beautiful. Everything Kakashi wished for. He inhaled Team Minato's' smell that the flowers issued.

_Thank you for having existed, thank you for existing, thank you for teaching me, thank you for loving me, thank you for saving me, thank you for changing me, thank you for your light_

He had never been so grateful for this second chance.

_Thank you for being here when I need you_

_Thank you_


End file.
